Facebook and Google are driving us in the echo chamber

Tape Facebook events shaping our vision of what is happening in the world. Algorithms, hidden behind the cover of a social network, determine what news we will see in the first place. As a general rule, filtering brings good mission and increases the relevancy issue. However, there is a side effect that we find ourselves in an echo chamber. What does it mean?

Echo chamber - a situation in which some idea reinforced in the minds of a closed group of people through frequent repetition. Associates support the general opinion, and do not try to open a discussion. The system is closed, and she did not get alternative information.

In fact, quite well that the same Google Now gives us materials based on past searches. Especially that the proposals can be corrected, indicating the extra topics and sources of data. It is logical: why dig in the garbage, which we simply do not care?

However, we shall return to the echo chamber. The more we hear the same view of the same media, the more accurate and uncontested, we believe it. That's fine if we're looking for information on a wicker basket. On the other hand, important topics are one-sided, self-colored and dry. Our perception of limited scope. All who are outside the circle, becoming dissidents and deserve appropriate comment.

Why Facebook and Google are biased, unwittingly

Facebook - the largest information field in the world. For many, the social network has become the main source of news, eyes and ears, if you like. This dependence is not that other, as the key to influence our perception.

Surely you know that Facebook users assign at least 98 markers. Among them, the location, ethnicity, income level, favorite brands, number of children, the area of ​​housing, employment, age of the car, political views and more. A complete list can be viewed on the site The Washington Post. Not every employee of the FSB care about what kind of pet you have, and Facebook is interested. Of course, the main interest is in major advertising markets, which are unlikely to be ranked impoverished post-Soviet space. But that is no reason not to go into the system.

So, on the eve of the US presidential election the big Western media social network to catch biased coverage of the election campaign. For example, if the user himself or his friends stopped earlier attention to the notes on the Democrats, then in the future conservative party places in the tape was not. And the more people read these entries, respond and shared, the more it is cooked in the same juice. Facebook only too happy to try.

However, competitors are not far behind. Google Now gives a selection of news, based on search history. One has only to read about who Hodor such as you then fill up the third-rate gossip about the actors who participated in the filming of "Game of Thrones."

In this case, the search giant does not care much about the quality and reliability of the information, saying that I am not in the business, all on the conscience of Internet resources. It is true, as, indeed, and what we ourselves subscribe to additional newsletter, using the basic services of the company. There is a demand - there will offer. So it turns out that algorithms decide what we swallow today's lunch.

Think you'd want to eat every day, serving the most delicious ice cream in the world? The idea seems cool, but only until such time as you begin to feel the taste of powdered milk exclusively. This can happen in a week, month, year.

Around and information: Facebook and Google each day arrive on a blue helicopter with a portion of the ideal popsicle. Funny milkmen properly deliver the order to your echo chamber. The only problem is that almost nobody notices catch either a week or a month or a year.

How to consume information objectively

Filtering content of interest is not evil. Due to her past you are conspiracy theories, shameless lies, and low-grade humor. The main thing - to know how to weed out the superfluous, not having driven themselves in the echo chamber.

• Use the online magazines that collect content on a given subject. Sign up for a few sites and watch from different points of view, what is happening today. For these purposes, it may be advisable Feedly. By the way, if we talk specifically about the news, there is a very good TwitterShort titles in chronological order does not take a lot of time. Selections of Google News on your chosen topic is also very handy. They open the borders outlined your interests and circle of contacts.
• Explore the alternative views that are contrary to what the majority of broadcasts. Media often sin that duplicated information from a single source. There is nothing wrong with that, if the facts described objectively, can not be traced or preconceived opinion imposed them. As a rule, foreign informkanaly cast doubt on the official feed or take completely opposite position. The confrontation of two worlds - a powerful tool to separate the wheat from the chaff.
• Ask yourself these questions before the right and left to throw his opinion. When you run into a crazy story, stop for a moment and ask yourself: "Is it true?" Take a couple of minutes on the analysis, you may no longer want to put a Like or do repost. One can not always correctly argued that this news You can be trusted, and the other - not worth it. However, we should learn to do it, because the only way to reduce the flow of misinformation on the internet.

Social networks and their ilk filtered infopotok for our good, and the often distorting the facts and the reality. This does not mean that the algorithms are bad. We just need to be aware: our understanding of world events can not be considered neutral, and we see only part of the picture.